2022 review

Welcome back. It’s that time of the year… the end. Every year I do a review so I can see what went well, what didn’t and what I can improve on. It’s been a habit for years and has put me on a great path. Let’s get to it.

The Good

• Art

  • Produced some of my personal favorite content ever

  • Produced my most popular piece of content ever this year- “Were You There” (42k views on IG)

  • Established a good foundation for producing content reliably and at a pace I can keep up

  • Expanding my storytelling skills and capabilities in order to fully elevate my work

  • Learning the power of editing and incorporating it into my content

  • Re-incorporating Toonboom (which is my favorite animation program) into my workflow after a long hiatus

  • Starting to build an audience across social media platforms

• Life

  • I’m alive

  • Improved Health, fitness and tenacity

  • Increased mental clarity, dexterity and resilience

  • Re-kindling a deep sense of duty and purpose

  • Spending more time with my family

  • Reducing bad relationships and nurturing the good ones

The Bad

• Art

  • Missing audience growth milestone across platforms

  • Massive time investment in making content without any pay off

  • Production of shorts are too long and convoluted

• Life

  • Losing my job and being on unemployment

  • Decreasing savings and finances

  • My aunt passing away

  • Stocks and assets losing value

  • Practically no social/ dating life

What Can Be Improved

• Art

  • Shorten production time of all content

  • Expand release schedule to include weekly scheduled uploads

  • Collaborations with other creators

  • Increase the bar on content quality

  • Figure out how to better give my audience what they want

  • Understand the platforms algorithms better

• Life

  • Add more strength training to exercise regime

  • Increase bodyweight to 145-150

  • Build better relationships and networks

  • Help my family adopt a more positive, healthy and sustainable lifestyle

  • Increase income so I can continue making content

  • Save money so I can pay off my student loans while interest is not accruing

Wrap Up

That’s a wrap for 2022. This year was far more difficult for me then previous years, but it taught me resilience and showed me how strong I have become. This year I went all in on making content for social media, and it had a massive upfront cost.

Next year I will try and develop a healthier work/ life balance if possible, but not at the cost of what I have put into my art. I am investing big into my own brand and content because I believe that W-2 work is not in line with the trajectory of society. Times are changing rapidly, and I have an opportunity to be on the forefront of this cultural shift. Even if the present is harsh and filled with pain the future is bright.

With that said, how did 2022 go for you? Did you achieve your goals? Let me know.

-Until next time-

Kyle